Tough Decisions when it comes to community sales.

[dejapooh]

There is a community sale that starts at 6:30 and another about 10 minutes away that starts at 7. The one the starts at 7 is larger and a much richer neighborhood. The one that starts at 6:30 will give me more time hunting and less time waiting for the gates to open in a gated community... Now, here's the real kicker... At 9am, there is ANOTHER community sale. About 40 minutes away in the opposite direction. This is a beach resort and retirement community. They've never had a community sale, or as far as I can tell, they've never allowed a garage sale. From this community, you can see Oprah's west coast house, Barbara Streisand's house, so on. It is a mobile home park, with a minimum price for a double wide at about $1.5 million. That sale runs 9am to 3pm. I am thinking I will go to the rich 7am, then, depending on the time when I am done, I will go to the beach one. After that, I will work my way home through the rich neighborhoods close to home. I am going to have to pass on poorer one close to home... I guess. Suggestions are appreciated. The one thing I can say, I am bringing the Van, and hopefully, my daughter. She's 13 and gets the best deals around.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Rdunzl]

Hi Dejapooh,
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Your logic is sound. Start where you can and follow what your instincts say. There is
no way of knowing what anyone will have out for sale. Many times I've gotten my hopes up for a nice area, only to find
nothing of interest or ridiculous prices. Some of my best finds have come where you least expect it. Whatever route you
choose, enjoy it and don't second guess. I hope you have phenomenal luck and I can't wait to see what you find.
Happy hunting!

 

[CladSpends2]

I just want to chime in that some of my best finds were where you would least expect them. Possibly others in the area, other pickers are thinking along the same lines and the place to be is where the other pickers ain't. Like that old sayin' of I think it was Willie Keeler, "hit 'em where they ain't". Just a thought.

T.

 

[billjustbill]

I've found that it's almost a coin toss when trying to out guess the 'average' neighborhoods (young folks and families, middle class workers) as well as where the Dealers will start....

Overall, I've found much less at garage sale advertised on Craig's list. It seems that if they are educated enough to post on a media board, they are smart enough to know what they have, leaving those sellers less likely to have surprises.... The local retirement condo's built 20 years ago are now having their share of "Estate Sales".....and that's where I find my gold and silver.....

I went to a garage sale, just today, that is in a lower scale, 1950's neighborhood. But I found old hand tools, Vaughn and various Hatchets, four Milwaukee 15" ship's augers, 2"-3" Milwaukee hole augers, (a brand new DeWalt 40 tooth blade still in the plastic shell it's sold in), a Haus-Cambell 15' air hose still in it's box, all for $1 each. So later in the morning I went back, I bought an 18" Ridge ALUMINUM pipe wench, 28" pry-bars, heavy nail apron and belt, and a 6lb plastic shoebox of new copper fittings for $5. OLDER fellow who's wife left and he's no longer working with his adult kids doing Apartment maintenance as the complex went with a maintenance company to do it all..

This start of the Fall season, I am seeing older couples lightening their loads, and that's where the surprises are.... today in an older part of town, I found 40 grams of Sterling Jewelry mixed in with costume jewelry(enough to get my money back) for $25, along with a new can of Coleman fuel, two more hatchets with one stamped "U.S. 1944", & a nylon pistol holster for $15.

I'd go with the old folks every time....and those living around lakes or beach front property really have their place being the only space they have. Those having lake homes, I've found lots of "Mom's and Grandma's old jewelry and "grandpa's old tools" that are just 'in the way' at their age....

Please post how things work out for you....

 

[clovis97]

I have the same problem, but it is usually about which auction I should attend.

The area auctioneers are pretty good about not scheduling auctions on the same days, but sometimes, they do.

The bottom line is that you will never know. It is a crap shoot, no matter what you pick.

The best advice I can give is to go to whatever you think is best, and keep working it until you run out of money, or the garage sales close.

One of the best garage sales I ever hit was 2:30 in the afternoon, on the last day of a community sale, even though everyone told me that I was wasting my time going that late.

 

[billjustbill]

I have the same problem, but it is usually about which auction I should attend.

The area auctioneers are pretty good about not scheduling auctions on the same days, but sometimes, they do.

The bottom line is that you will never know. It is a crap shoot, no matter what you pick.

The best advice I can give is to go to whatever you think is best, and keep working it until you run out of money, or the garage sales close.

One of the best garage sales I ever hit was 2:30 in the afternoon, on the last day of a community sale, even though everyone told me that I was wasting my time going that late.

Okay, don't leave us hanging.... what did you find? ;>)

 

[dejapooh]

I have the same problem, but it is usually about which auction I should attend.

The area auctioneers are pretty good about not scheduling auctions on the same days, but sometimes, they do.

The bottom line is that you will never know. It is a crap shoot, no matter what you pick.

The best advice I can give is to go to whatever you think is best, and keep working it until you run out of money, or the garage sales close.

One of the best garage sales I ever hit was 2:30 in the afternoon, on the last day of a community sale, even though everyone told me that I was wasting my time going that late.

My best find was arriving at an estate sale at 3pm. I posted that Daffodil vase here. I also found a great piece of art at a mobile home park in the mountains. Very blue collar, retired people, and so on. I have high hopes for the beach because in the 1960's it was a working class place for people working for the stars. It was a middle class weekend place. so on. I'll let you know what's going on.

 

[clovis97]

Okay, don't leave us hanging.... what did you find? ;>)

Well, it is kind of "what didn't I find", LOL.

One of the big scores was two monster boxes of used softballs. I put them in lots of 20 balls and sold them for $25 to $30 per lot. I cleared over $500 alone on the balls, IIRC.

I also found a boot for a convertible. Paid $1, and sold it for $129. Seems like I bought the jack and the owner's manual for the car too, and the jack sold for $35 or $40.

The clothes...oh my goodness!!! I was too new to the resale business and too stupid to really make great money on these. Top of the line teenager clothes, almost all had original tags. I bought an arm load for $1 to $3 each. They flew off the shelves at the flea market, and some got donated to a needy teenage girl. We still refer to this garage sale as the "Wet Seal sale", which was/is a brand name of women's clothes. I should have listed them all on ebay. I think we got $10 a dress at the flea market, and made a pile of money at that, because they flew off the rack. Looking back, I think we screwed up...somewhere, right now, someone is on a forum bragging about all the Wet Seal clothes they found at a flea market for $10 a dress, and sold them on ebay for $80 each, LOL.

That was 6 years ago. We had been in adoption classes all morning, and didn't get out of those until after noon.

I'd like to find another sale like that, and I would like a 'do-over' on the clothes that we found that day. I think we cleared about $1,000 that day.

 

[clovis97]

My best find was arriving at an estate sale at 3pm. I posted that Daffodil vase here. I also found a great piece of art at a mobile home park in the mountains. Very blue collar, retired people, and so on. I have high hopes for the beach because in the 1960's it was a working class place for people working for the stars. It was a middle class weekend place. so on. I'll let you know what's going on.

As I type this, you are mostly already out pounding the pavement.

I hope you've already found a Martin guitar for $75, and handful of scrap gold jewelry for $5, a set of Snap-On wrenches for $4, eight convertible boots for $1 each, and a master carton full of NOS T-3 headlights for $3.

Go get 'em!!! Hope you do well!!!

 

[dejapooh]

Well, I started at the closest Community. It was in a nice area. About 1/3 the houses having sales than last year. A few bits and pieces here and there. Nothing too amazing. I found an unopened set of Trivial Pursuit for $1. That's an easy $30. The best thing was a framed set of $2 bills. 2 sets of 16 uncut. The sheet showing is a sheet of star notes. I then went off to Malibu. Only 5 sales and anything slightly interesting was marked about 5 times what I would pay. I then came back and ran to a few sales around my house. Again, bits and pieces.

 

[dejapooh]

Can you see that picture?

 

[clovis97]

Yes...nice uncut sheet of Tom's.

 

[dejapooh]

Yes...nice uncut sheet of Tom's.

The showing the front are all star notes, and, strangely, all have the same serial number... I am tempted to pull it apart to see the front of the other sheet.

 

[dejapooh]

Hit a few sunday sales and did AMAZING. Got an Mbox (music digitizer) with all of the software. new in opened box... $10 (should go for $200+). Oregon Scientific atomic clock new in sealed box, $1 (listed on Amazon for $89.99). 3 power tools (a router, a sander, and a jigsaw). All 3 working, all three for $10. Listed the Router for $69.99, but my wife wants the other two for her wood work.

Nice topper to a pretty good weekend. Now I just have to sell this stuff.